Holy Idols, a beginning

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A weekly date night that never got skipped, and slowly stopped meaning anything. That's where this episode starts, and it leads to one of the most familiar stories Jesus ever told.

This is the first episode of Holy Idols, a longer series within Balancing the Christian Life. The series looks at excellent things, like knowing the Bible, praying, extending grace, and serving, that turn dangerous when we use them as a proxy for God instead of a pathway to him. It doesn't happen because we chase idolatry. It happens because we chase God.

In this episode, we go back to Luke 15 and look at the two sons again, and at the people Jesus first told the story to. The younger son was an idiot, and the older son was petty, but the older son was also right on almost every fact. The father needed neither of them, and the gift of home was the father himself. Then we ask what happens if the Pharisees aren't our target but our mirror, and what it means to be certain about God when we can't always speak for our own spouse.

Along the way:

• Why the person who feels they're doing Christianity pretty well may be standing on the most dangerous ground
• Which son the father hated, and when each son was actually lost
• Mercy, not merit
• The "but if not" posture from Daniel 3
• Why Christianity isn't a process we perfect once and repeat, but one we grow through

Scripture: Luke 15, Deuteronomy 21:17, Luke 18, Matthew 22, 1 Corinthians 10:12, Daniel 3, and the dinners in Luke 7, 11, and 14.

This series comes from my book, Holy Idols: Godly Acts, Godless Hearts.

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